international students

Last week I had the opportunity to participate in the Holi Festival of Colors for the first time, and it was awesome. When I heard about this event, I found it so interesting and fun! Holi is an Hindu spring festival, celebrated in India and Nepal. It is a joyful day in which people celebrate the beginning of Spring.

So I wished that the day we celebrated Holi at Fontbonne would have been sunny, but as we know Saint Louis weather can change at anytime, that day we had snow. Hopefully the event was not cancelled. A group of 20 students approximately came, we enjoy some delicious Hindu desserts, and then everyone picked two colors. We all went outside and after the count of three, we all throw the colors to the sky and to each other saying “Happy Holi”. Not even a minute and I was already full of different colors, my hair, my face, and the white tshirt I had were a rainbow. It was so cool! I couldn’t believe I was all colored. Sadly, I couldn’t stay the whole time because I had a class, but everyone stay celebrating Holi for more than half an hour. It was a experience I will never forget, I really enjoy it!

Studying abroad, especially going to such distant countries like the US. .is definitely excited. However, along with the excitement for the trip ahead, packing your stuff would be a challenging mind game if you want to make your stay convenient and comfortable.

Put cash in several places.

Even with the advancement of internet banking today, it is still inconvenient to have absolutely no cash or too little cash on hand. Transferring money from countries to countries is also often charged. Thus, bringing some cash with you is necessary.

There should always be cautious about unanticipated situations. Losing your purse, bag, or baggage is one of those. To prevent getting all your money lost and being trapped in unwanted troubles, put cash here and there. Keep most in your personal wallet that you always have, a large note in your front pocket and some in the backpack.

But of course, remember to always keep your valuable belongings on you.

Have an extra set of clothes in your backpack.

You have packed all your favorite pieces into your checked baggage, hoping to start your new life at a new place with your most confident costumes. But who knows if there would be problems with the baggage transferring between places or flights? You will never know when that one who got his or her baggage lost is you. Besides the terror of losing your belongings, the greater question is, how are you going to appear in front of everyone in your new school with this dirty shirt you had on one day ago before you boarded the flight? The answer is, that extra new one in your backpack.

As it would be placed in your backpack, the clothes should not be of significant weight. A casual clean T-shirt and a pair of shorts should be good enough.

And do not forget your underwear.

Universal adapter is never redundant.

Upon traveling to a foreign country, it is important to check the type of electricity plug used in that country. You do not want to be in that situation where everything is nicely organized except your table lamp cannot be turned on and your phone is unable to charged. Hence the adapter should be in your carry-on bag, too.

Charge everything before setting off.

Keeping in touch is quite the most important thing when traveling to a foreign country alone. Getting all your devices fully charged is a way to keep in touch. Thus, you should charge your laptop, your phone, your tablet, etc. before leaving your house. Do remember to have all the chargers in your backpack just in case those devices run out of battery, which is likely to happen because the travelling time to the US from all countries outside the continent America is long, unless you have your own private jet and pilot, of course.

Also, it is recommended that one should bring a portable charger instead of the charging cable only. Some airports do not have charging stations available or easily spotted. In case of your phone dying in an emergency, the portable little friend would come in handful.

The above are just a few basic tips. Other things such as your beloved teddy bear, or the lucky charm your mother gave you would be up to personal preference. Do not worry too much because studying abroad is a marvelous experience and if you are lucky enough, you can buy other necessities as very cheap prices.

In collaboration with International Education Week, FBU organized an International Bazaar to present different cultures to the school’s students. The bazaar was made up of numerous stations: food testing, handicrafts showing, instrument playing and dancing showcases.

Two sexy Bachata dancers.

The girls from Vietnam in their country’s traditional dress called Ao dai.

I can’t believe it’s already a month that I’ve been in the USA, more over FONTBONNE!! I’ve always heard that America is very strict on rules, but on arriving here, I’m overwhelmed. The best thing are the traffic rules. Having been to the other cities in the USA, I find Saint Louis very beautiful and […]

On September 2, an event exclusive for international students in Fontbonne, especially newcomers, occurred in the president’s house. Students coming from other parts of the world had a nice meeting with Mr. Pressimone and his family. The point of this rather informal meeting, according to the president, was to appreciate international students who left everything […]

Hello everyone, This week I’d like to share my best experience studying in Fontbonne University. When I first moved to St. Louis to study at Fontbonne, I was a bit scared since I was moving from California where there’s more people with various ethnicity and races. That’s why when I first moved in here, I […]

College is a time of development, change, experiences, and fun! During my college years, I have experienced many challenges. Perhaps one of the greatest challenges I have faced is saying goodbye to my global friends. Here at Fontbonne, I have had the privilege of meeting people from all around the world; from Japan to Saudi Arabia […]

I think my biggest challenge in college is really my time management of how I can balance my study, work, and my leisure time nicely. Having an opportunity to study abroad, I always feel that I have to study very hard in order to best utilize my time studying in the United States. Thus, I […]

Hi everyone, Honestly, I like snowing and this is my first experience seeing snow in my life. Initially I felt so romantic and excited seeing snow and everything seem frozen (car is frozen, leaves are frozen, etc). All around is white and peaceful. However, after few days, streets started to get dirty as the snow […]

Our Writers

Hello! My name is Claire Downey. I am a freshman at Fontbonne University. I am a fashion merchandising major and I am from St. Peters, Missouri. I look forward to having you with me as I experience my journey at Fontbonne University!

My name is Yuri. I am a Junior here at FBU double majoring in Business Administration & Management Information Systems. I am also the President of Enactus here on campus. Enactus is an International, Non-Profit, Entrepreneurial Business Organization.

Hi guys! My name is Morgan, and I am currently a sophomore here at Fontbonne studying Speech-Language Pathology! A few things about me: I'm on FAB's (Fontbonne Activities Board) executive team for marketing; and I'm also involved with Dance Marathon and Griffin Gang. During the summer, I work at Baskin Robbins in my hometown of O'Fallon, MO! I can't wait for you all to get to know me through my writings! :-)

My name is Anna and I am excited to share some fun details about life at Fontbonne and in the St. Louis area with you! I'm currently a freshman majoring in dietetics, I love to be outside, and I am a strong Christian!